Photographic printing apparatus



M1 M. WEISS 2,254,717.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS N Filed March l6, 1939 Z4- Z/ I v/?70,e/rg M765.

. INVENTQR Patented sept. 2,1941

PHOTOGBAPHIC PRINTING Morita Weiss, New York, N. Y a-ignor of onehalf to Louis L. G8 1, New York, N. Y.

Application March 16, 1939. Serial No. 262,105 Germany March 19, 1938 8 Claims. (CI. 95-73) This invention relates to improvements in photographic printing apparatus for the reproduction of printed sheets, drawings and the like.

The principal object of the invention resides in a photographic printing apparatus which is capable of receiving various thicknesses of obiects to be reproduced such as pages from bound books, framed pictures, and other relatively thick objects to be copied by photographic reproduction.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a photographic printingapparatus in which a uniform distribution of light is maintained upon the surface of the object being reproduced regardlass of the thickness of the object and without the use of manually adjustable means.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a photographic printing apparatus in which the object supporting glass plate is resiliently mounted in fixed focused relation with respect to the source of light, thus assuring a uniform result regardless of the limits of movement of the supporting plate.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a portable photographic reproducing apparatus which is simple and inexpensive of construction, li ht in weight, and which may be eillciently operated by one unskilled in' the art of photographic printing.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in various details of construction and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the photographic printing apparatus with the cover in a partially open position.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 with the cover closed.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 3-2 of Figure 1 with thecover closed.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters. the numeral ll designates a rectangular shaped box-like body which includes a flat bottom wall I I, parallel upstanding side walls |2|2, and end walls |3-|2. The box-like body or casing may be constructed of any desired material such as wood, metal, or the like and fixedly supported by two opposed walls of the casingorasshowninthedrawingbyalli'our walls, are horizontally disposed rails i4. The

the casing and may be fixedly secured to the inner sides of the walls by any suitable means. Rails |4 have cylindrical recesses I6 extending inwardly from the top thereof and which recesses are suitably spaced for the purpose to b presently explained.

Flxedly secured at the four corners of the easing at the top of the walls thereof, are corner plates II, the same being substantially fiush with the top edges of the side and end walls.

- Blidably and yieldably supported within the casing ill on a plane above the rails I5, is a rectangular shaped frame II, the same having guide pins ll secured thereto and which depend from the under side of the frame with the free ends of the pins extending into the respective cylindrical recesses ii. A washer l9 surrounds each pin II and rests upon the top of the rail I4 and which washer provides a seat for one end of a helical expansion spring 20. A spring 20 surrounds each pin I8 and is interposed between a washer IO and the vertically slidable frame ll.

Fixedly secured to the frame l1 and depending therefrom in spaced relation to the walls of the casing III is a parabolic reflector 2|, the same having end walls 22-22. Secured to one of the end walls 22 is an electric lamp socket 23 which receives an elongated electric incandescent lamp 24. The lamp 24 extends lengthwise of the refiector 2| and is disposed centrally thereof.

Whereas a single lamp 24 has been illustrated in the drawing and is disposed in spaced parallel relation to the bottom of the reflector 2|, 1 wish it to be understood that electric lamps may be arranged perpendicular of the bottom wall of the reflector in a longitudinal row to provide the desired light source.

Supported by the frame l1 and overlying th open side of the reflector 2| is a translucent glass plate 2, preferably of the frosted type. The plate 2| is removable to obtain access to the lamp 24 and to the inner side of the reflector 2|, but duetothetensionofthesprings20,thecorners of the plate 2' underlie the corner plate It and the upward movement of the plate 25 is arrested by this abutting engagement.

Hingedtotherearendwall |lasat26isa cover 21 which has a resilient sponge rubber pad 2| secured to the inner side thereof. when the cover 21 is closed over the casing II, the rubber 28 comes in compressing contact with the plate 25 for the purpose of gripping relatively thin sheets such as the sensitised photographic paper used in photographic reproduction processes and rails|4aredisposedwellbelowthecpentopof theprintedsheetsordrawingtobereproduced.

The cover 21 is held in closed position by any suitable means such as pivoted clamping elements 29 carried by the front of the cover 21 and which respectively engage keeper elements SI provided on the front wall I! of the casing II.

The invention herein described is especially intended for use in copying or reproducing matter taken from relatively thick bulky objects, such as for instance the copying of the page of a book in which the pages are bound. To produce a negative print the operator first inserts an amber filter sheet A beneath the corner plate Ii so as to lie fiat upon the translucent plate 25, after which the sensitized paper is placed on the filter sheet and the object to be reproduced or copied is then applied over the sensitized sheet. If the object such as a book is relatively thick, the plate 25 will move downwardly with the frame I] against the action of the springs in order that the object may be depressed sufiiciently to enable the cover 21 to be swung to closed position. After the cover 21 is swung to closed position and secured by the coacting fastening elements 29 and 30, the lamp 24 is lighted by the turning on of a switch 3] and the sensitized sheet held between the cover and plate 25 is exposed to the light for a predetermined length of time. It will be noted that asthe translucent plate 25 moves downwardly, the reflector 2| and the lamp 24 move down a corresponding distance, thus the light source is fixed relative to the plate 25, and the light rays are so distributed and fo-- cused onto the plate 25 as to provide the necessary light throughout the entire surface of the plate. After the sensitized sheet has been sufficiently exposed to the light, the switch ii is turned oil, the cover 21 is unlocked and lifted and the object and printed sheet or negative are removed, and the negative given the other required treatment for its completion. In cases where a positive print is to be prepared, the flexible filter sheet A may be removed from its position over the translucent plate 25.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the intensity of light falling upon the translucent plate 25 is always the same, and the parabolic reflector assures a uniform distribution of the light over the surface of the translucent plate. By this means, one or more lamps may be used, depending upon the intensity of light necessary and there is no necessity of providing variable lights nor any manually operable means for focusing the light relative to the translucent plate on which the subject and sensitized sheets are placed.

While I have shown and dwcribed what I consider to be the most simplified embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that such changes and alterations as come within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A photographic printing apparatus comprising a box-like body open at its top, a cover hinged to the top of said body for closing the open top thereof, a rigid translucent work receiving plate, means for resiliently mounting said plate within said body adjacent the top thereof, a source of light within said body beneath said translucent plate, and means for maintaining said source of light in definite fixed position relative to said plate to maintain a uniform light receiving plate supported by said upon the surface of said plate regardless of its position within the range of yielding movement thereof.

2. A photographic printing apparatus comprising a box-like casing open at its top, a cover for closing the open top of said casing, a frame, means resiliently supporting said frame within said casing adjacent the top thereof for up and down sliding movement, a reflector of parabolic shape in cross section supported by and suspended from said frame and normally disposed in spaced relation to the bottom of said casing, a source of light fixedly mounted in said reflector, and a translucent work receiving plate supported by said frameand overlying said reflector whereby the work to be printed and a photographic sheet may be clamped between the underside of said cover and said plate and a uniform distribution of light rays is reflected upon said plate by said reflector. regardless of the yielding movements of the resiliently mounted frame.

3. A photographic printing apparatus com prising a box-like casing open at its top, 0pposed horizontal rails fixedly secured to the inner side of opposed side walls of said casing below the open top thereof, a frame, spring means resiliently mounting said frame in superposed relation to said rails and normally acting to urge said frame upwardly to a position adjacent the open top of said casing, means at the corners of said casing and overlying said frame for limiting the upward movement of said frame, a reflector of parabolic shape in cross section supported by and suspended from said frame and disposed in spaced relation to the bottom wall of said casing, a source of artificial light fixedly supported by said reflector, a translucent work frame and overlying the open side of said reflector whereby a uniform distribution of light rays are reflected onto said plate regardless of the yielding movement of said frame, and a cover for closing the open top of said casing and for dampening a piece of work to be printed and a photographic sheet upon said plate.

4. A photographic printing apparatus comprising a box-like casing open at its top, a cover for closing the open top of said casing, opposed horizontal rails fixedly secured to the inner side of opposed side walls of said casing below the top thereof, a frame, guide pins fixed to said frame and depending therefrom, said pins freely entering openings provided in said rails, expansible springs encircling said guide pins and disposed intermediate said frame and rails, a reflector of parabolic shape in cross section supported by and depending from said frame, a source of light supported by said reflector and a translucent work receiving plate supported by said frame and overlying the open side of said reflector.

5. A photographic printing apparatus com-- prising a rectangular shaped box-like casing open at its top, fiat plates at the corners of said casing at the top of the side walls thereof, a translucent rectangular shaped work receiving plate vertically slidable within said casing, spring means acting upon said plate to move the same upwardly into abutting engagement with corner plates, a source of light contained within said casing, means for maintaining said source of light in fixed relation to said translucent plate during sliding movement thereof, and a cover hinged to the top of said casing and adapted to be swung to a closed position over the open top of said casing to clamp the work to be photographed and a photographic sheet against the top of said plate.

6. A photographic printing apparatus comprising a rectangular shaped box-like casing open at its top, flat plates at the corners of said casing ,at the top of the side walls thereof, a translucent rectangular shaped work receiving plate vertically slidable within said casin spring means acting upon said plate to move the same upwardly into abutting engagement with corner plates, a source of light contained within said casing, means for maintaining said source of light in fixed relation to said translucent plate during sliding movement thereof, a cover hinged to the top of said casing and adapted to be swung to a closed position over the open top of said casing. and a resilient pad carried by the underside of said cover and adapted to coact with the resiliently supp r ed translucent plate to secure the printing sheet and object to be copied in tight engagement therebetween.

7. In a photographic printing apparatus, a casins. a flat rigid horizontally disposed translucent photographic work receiving plate, means for 'yieldably mounting said plate within said casing,

a source of light beneath said plate, and means for mounting said source of light in constant fixed relation with respect to said plate during any yielding movement thereof.

8. A photographic printing apparatus comprising a rectangular box-like casing open at its top, a cover hinged to the open top of said casing for contacting engagement therewith when in closed position, supportin rails mounted on the inner side of the side walls of saidcasing well below the open top thereof, a rectangular frame superposed relative to said rails, guide pins secured to and depending from said frame and freely slidable in openings in said frame, expansible springs surrounding said pins and being interposed between the underside of said frame and the top of said rails to normally urge the frame upwardly away from said rails, a reflector oi parabolic shape in cross section fixedly secured at its peripheral edge to said frame and depending downwardly into said casing, a lamp mounted on the inside of the reflector, a flat translucent photographic work receiving plate supported by said frame and being normally disposed on a level substantially even with the top of said casing by the action of said springs, a

resilient pressing pad carried by the inner side of said cover, whereby the photographic sheet and subject sheet may be interposed between said translucent plate and said pad and held stationary when the cover is closed, and releasable latch means for securing the cover in closed position over the casing against the tension .of said springs and resilient pad when a photographic sheet and subject sheet is interposed between the plate and the pad.

MORI'IZ WEISS. 

